₦airaland Forum

Troubling Developments in Our Polity that Must Be Nipped in the Bud.

I have just been made aware early this morning that Revered religious leader, Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani Umar has been arrested by authorities shortly after hosting me in Kaduna on Sunday.

This development underscores the deeply troubling state of our nation and our democracy, where freedom of speech and movement is increasingly threatened, and where citizens and perceived political opponents face harassment and unnecessary persecution. This cannot be allowed to continue.

This country must defend freedom and free speech, which are the hallmarks of every democratic society. Suppression and intimidation of dissent can never stand in a democratic society, and this Nigerian government must understand this fact.

I respectfully call on all those bent on undermining our already fragile democracy to please stop and apply the rule of law and tenets of democracy in dealing with citizens. -PO

Source


Security operatives believed to be personnel of the Department of State Services DSS have arrested a prominent Islamic cleric and former governorship aspirant in Kaduna State, Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani Umar 24 hours after he hosted presidential hopeful, Peter Obi.
While details of his arrest remain sketchy as at the time of filling this report, the development however underscores the deeply troubling state of Nigeria’s democracy, where freedom of speech and movement is increasingly threatened, and where citizens and perceived political opponents face harassment and unnecessary persecution.

Meanwhile, Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned and raised an alarm over the arrest of the religious leader.

According to Obi, Umar was arrested shortly after he hosted him in Kaduna State on Sunday.

Taking to his X account on Tuesday, the former Governor of Anambra State described the development as a threat to freedom of speech and movement.

He submitted that such troubling developments in Nigeria’s political space must be nipped in the bud.

Obi added that suppression and intimidation of opposition voices by the Nigerian government must stop, noting that the rule of law must pr

“I have just been made aware early this morning that Revered religious leader, Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani Umar has been arrested by authorities shortly after hosting me in Kaduna on Sunday.

“This development underscores the deeply troubling state of our nation and our democracy, where freedom of speech and movement is increasingly threatened, and where citizens and perceived political opponents face harassment and unnecessary persecution. This cannot be allowed to continue.

“This country must defend freedom and free speech, which are the hallmarks of every democratic society. Suppression and intimidation of dissent can never stand in a democratic society, and this Nigerian government must understand this fact.

“I respectfully call on all those bent on undermining our already fragile democracy to please stop and apply the rule of law and tenets of democracy in dealing with citizens,” he wrote.

Source: https://www.reportnaija.ng/2026/03/dss-arrests-prominent-islamic-cleric.html?m=1

Why is tinubu shamelessly desperate

What do we call these madness ?

Tinubu made us to believe that all the governor and senators are solidly behind him, why is Peter Obi giving him sleepless nights?

Government knows these types of clerics more than all l, but they won't act or call them to order until their actions affect the incumbent power politically.

Now if this is true, Tinubu and his boys must be idiots.... We watching.

If Tinubu and his boys continue this path, this country will soon explode gaskiya. This is arrant nonsense ai

Tinubu is playing with FIRE 🔥 without him knowing.

With everything Tinubu is doing to suppress the opposition, it only shows one thing. Tinubu knows he never won the 2023 elections.

The presidency should tell me its a lie. Nobody was arrested

Tinupoo and his evul party will keep grasping at straws... 😅






Fight of a dying man!

Ever since I started hearing of DSS, they only go after people that are not on the side of the president, even if you're innocent.

I don't just understand this APC.

NIGERIA is doomed and we don't know it yet, just say bye-bye to democracy.

Peter Obi is too desperate to be president. He can roll with any character just for votes. It's better they arrest him and heaven will not fall.

Tinubu will win 2027.

Chai. This is seriously against democracy

This government will make its own mistake and setup itself for calamity. This is democracy not Abacha regime.

Governors decamping is not giving him confident .

Nigerians are allowing this nonsense

Lol....They would have picked Peter Obi a long time ago if they have been able to find something to hold onto....

Speaks alot of whom the person OBI is.....

Who takes dss serious,that compromised establishment, we go still vote Peter Obi. All this theatrical drama won’t change anything

iLegendd:
Ever since I started hearing of DSS, they only go after people that are not on the side of the president, even if you're innocent.

Nonsense, you people with your myopic political interests won't jeopardise Nigeria because of your small myopic interest and thinking, we won't allow it.

What did he say that made Obi mention freedom of speech? Was the visit political? So many questions to ask Mr Obi.

AK481:
Governors decamping is not giving him confident .

Nigerians are allowing this nonsense

..Nigerians that are busy with content creations.....lol

The same u wen say "muslim / muslim ticket" na religious war, dey go meet the Muslim cleric for support....I never see hypocrite like Peter obi before...


Anyway, if the man no get werin e do, make them release am.... But if he's guilty of any crime with evidence, he should be prosecuted!!!

Anybody wen commit crime for Nigeria should be visited with the full wrath of the law... No exceptions!!

Weldon
Any person again us
Must be seize
Kwakwazo will be seize very soon

If caution is not taken, Tinubu might be the last president of the 4th republic.

Tinubu is just repeating everything Abacha did to him, to rule Nigeria you have to be unruly

Tinubu is seriously desperate..

We done enter one Chance for this country.
All the Governors, Senators and all the reps are with Him , why all these madness?

LagosOrigin:
Why is tinubu shamelessly desperate

What do we call these madness ?

Tinubu made us to believe that all the governor and senators are solidly behind him, why is Peter Obi giving him sleepless nights?

That indicates that Peter Obi in his desperation is associating with all those him and his supporters considered as criminals in the past.

The pandora criminal called Obi is talking nonsense. So because Obi visited someone means the person is above arrest even when a crime is suspected.

How many times have Obi visited people and they were not arrested.

Obi's brand of politics by trying to create fake sympathy is silly because a couple of weeks ago, he tried to create a fake assassination attempt on himself but Nigerians didn't fall for it. Now he has shifted gear to government arresting anyone he visits.

This is political desperation. Even if he committed any offence, why the timing of the arrest after hosting Obi?

LagosOrigin:
Why is tinubu shamelessly desperate

What do we call these madness ?

Tinubu made us to believe that all the governor and senators are solidly behind him, why is Peter Obi giving him sleepless nights?

If you look closely, I don't think DSS will just arrest him without reason! Both of them in the picture above look like conniving fraudsters. DSS must have information. Obi also needs to be investigated with the calibre of people he is playing around